Kia Ora,
As you may be following along, I am enrolled in a Māori performing arts class. Today marks 30 days from our concert performance. We so far have learned three songs, two of which have complete dance actions with them.
This past Saturday and Sunday, we had our wānanga, which translates to “to meet and discuss.” Essentially, it is a gathering of learning and knowledge. These days were full of learning and practicing the waiata (songs). We came into the weekend only knowing the words to one song. We then came out of the weekend having learned the actions of that song and knowing two more songs. Of course, my group and I rewarded ourselves with ice cream after such a long weekend of learning.
A key part of this class is to learn the songs in the dark. Te reo Māori (Māori language) has traditionally been strickly an oral language. Writing was not introduced until the Europeans came around. Before that, all of the Māori whakapapa (genealogies), creation narratives, and stories were passed down orally. There were also certain times of the night that these were taught and they were usually in the form of song.
Our next song involves the poi and haka. The poi is a common dancing instrument used in Aotearoa. It is a foam ball wrapped in plastic attached to a string. Typically, the women dance with the poi, and the men do the haka; however, it is not required that we stick to those gender designations. I am learning the poi performance, and I am not as grateful as seasoned dancers make it seem. Since they grew up learning to dance with poi, I am giving myself a bit of grace. Hopefully, in the next month, I can practice enough to look somewhat good.
Best,
Kahiau